'Great sense of responsibility': Edmonton's Olszewski goes from political abyss to Carney's cabinet
Just a few months ago, Eleanor Olszewski was set to run again as a federal Liberal candidate in Edmonton Strathcona. She'd run in the NDP stronghold before and lost.
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She was expected to lose again and go back to her job as a lawyer.
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Fast forward to the present, and Olszewski is the lone Alberta MP to be in Prime Minister Mark Carney's cabinet. She's a prime example of how politics can change in a very short period of time.
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When Randy Boissonnault announced he would not stand for reelection in Edmonton Centre, the party asked Olszewski to move from Strathcona to a riding in which the Liberals had a much better chance to win. She became the only Liberal to win a seat in the Edmonton area.
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With Carney needing to show that he's serious about national unity, and having a cabinet filled with ministers from across the country, Olszewski found herself in pole position for a minister's job. Five days before the swearing-in ceremony, she found out she was going to be the minister of emergency management and community resilience, and will also oversee Prairies Economic Development Canada.
There's no understating the importance of being the lone Alberta Liberal cabinet minister. Olszewski has to represent the interests of a province which has filed numerous court challenges against the federal government, and where the spectre of a separation referendum in 2026 has the country as a whole talking about national unity. Meanwhile, Canada is under threat from the protectionist policies of U.S. President Donald Trump.
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Despite the political gulf between the provincial Conservatives and the federal Liberals, there is one thing on which Olszewski and Premier Danielle Smith can agree — that the relationship between Ottawa and Alberta needs a reset. But where they differ is how to best achieve that goal. Smith does so with bluster and through the courts. Olszewski believes it can be best achieved by the two parties sitting down and being willing partners rather than adversaries.
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'It's an incredible honour to be chosen to represent Alberta in cabinet,' she said. 'It's a role that I do not take lightly. It comes with a great sense of responsibility. I want to be a strong voice for Alberta. I want to move forward with respect to the relationship between Alberta and the federal government, and to show Albertans that the relationship can be based on respect and collaboration.'
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